Nana’s Beef Stroganoff

I have a recipe to share, this is another one of our staples when this Momma doesn’t feel like trying a new recipe. It’s the version of Beef Stroganoff I grew up eating, and we L-O-V-E it!
It’s perfect for those on the go days. Just put your meat in the crock pot in the morning and it’s ready for you to finish out the dish when you get home.

(click title for easy printable)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Cubed Stew Meat
• 1 cup Beef Broth
• ½ cups Diced Onion
• 16 ounces, weight mushrooms of your choice (I like baby bella)
• 6 Tablespoons Butter, Divided Use
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt And 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 14 ounces, fluid Can Of Beef Broth
• Reserved Broth From Crock Pot
• ¾ cups Sour Cream
• 10 ounces, weight Extra Wide Egg Noodles, Cooked, Drained And Rinse

Meat for Beef Stroganoff:
Place 1 lb. stew meat and 1 cup beef broth in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When meat is done, drain reserving juices, and continue below:

Boil noodles in a large stockpot then rinse and drain. Sautee onion and fresh mushrooms in 2 T. Butter. Scrape into meat crockpot for later.

In the now empty stock pot, melt 4 T. butter on medium high heat, and add flour and seasonings, allowing it to get thick and bubbly. Stir in the broth and crock pot juice slowly to thicken, whisking constantly.

Let it simmer for a good 15 minutes or so as you stir. This should thicken up like a brown gravy. (If it is doesn’t just add a dash of corn starch in cold water to help thicken faster)

Once liquid has thickened into a nice sauce, add cooked beef, onions,& mushrooms. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Stir meat mushroom onion mixture and sour cream together, add noodles and stir well. Heat until just warm.

Enjoy! Tastes GREAT with whole steamed green beans and whole wheat rolls! Easily doubled for a crowd.

Sweet & Sour Chicken and Fried Rice

  It has been unseasonably warm here, and on Tuesday, it finally snowed! YAY! 

It was the kind that falls really slow with REALLY big flakes.  We didn’t get much, but it was just beautiful!

  We had some special visitors tonight.  Dale thought they’d look good in the freezer.  Thankfully it’s not deer season, or that just might have been what occurred!!!!! 

Back to supper, and it’s not Venison.  It’s Chicken and it’s Chinese!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

(click title for easy printable)

Ingredients

• 12 whole Raw Chicken Strips, Or 4-6 Boneless, Skinless Breasts, Cut In Strips
• 1 cup Flour
• 12 ounces, weight Jar Apricot Preserves
• 1 envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix (about 1 Oz. Packet)
• 1 bottle (10-12 Oz. Bottle) Russian Dressing

Preheat oven to 350F. If using chicken breasts, cut into strips. Flour each strip and lay them in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Mix apricot preserves with onion soup and spread over chicken. Pour dressing over all and bake for 1 hour.

Sticky and delicious!!!!

___________________________________________________

I have always struggled with pasty rice, not matter how much I rinse the rice, watch the pot, carefully fluff with a fork….my rice is sticky. YUCK!

But, that was before I found this recipe for Brown Rice that you bake in the oven. It turns out perfect every time!!!!! YAY!

{If you are making this to go with the Sweet and Sour Chicken above, you will want to double this.}

Brown Rice Bake

1-½ cup Brown Basamati Rice

2 cups Chicken Broth

½ cups Water

½ teaspoons Salt

Preheat oven to 340*. Combine brown rice, chicken broth, water and salt in a 8×11 baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before removing foil and fluffing with fork.

___________________________________________________

  When you are done with this you can turn it into fried rice if you’d like, or just serve as is, with Teriyaki sautéed vegetables.

  Here is how I do fried rice:

  Cut up 4-5 cups of fresh veggies: broccoli, baby carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, thinly sliced garlic and onion. 

  In a large electric skillet, pour several Tablespoons of Olive Oil and heat up.  Add onions and garlic, then other veggies, stir frying for about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms last, they don’t need as much time.  Then, stir in a double batch of the Brown Rice Bake.  Add 4 T. soy sauce.  Stir and fry for a few more minutes before clearing a spot and adding 2 eggs.  Scramble, then stir in the rest of the mixture.  Cook off any remaining raw egg, then serve on  a plate with Sweet and Sour Chicken on top and Egg Rolls on the side.

Who needs Chinese Take Out when you can make a meal like this?!?!?!

~T

For other Chinese Supper Favorites, go visit these recipes:

Vietnamese Fried Rice

Korean Style Noodle Bowls

Curly Noodle Pork Supper

  You are going to LOVE this fun supper! 

(Click title to be taken to TK to print)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Pork Tenderloin Or Boneless Chops
• 1 whole Medium Red Pepper, Cut Into 1 Inch Strips
• 2 cups Shredded Carrots
• 2 cups Broccoli Florets
• 1 whole Small White Onion, Thinly Sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 packages (3 Oz. Size) Pork Ramen Noodles, Broke In Half
• 5 cups Water
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley

In a large electric skillet, cook pork for just a few minutes before adding red pepper, carrots, broccoli and onions. Add oil and saute for a few more minutes until meat is no longer very pink.

Combine the seasoning packets from the ramen in the water, then pour over the veggies. Stir in soy sauce, parsley and ramen noodles. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook 5 minutes more or until noodles are just done.

Serve with egg rolls for the perfect meal!

~T

Buffalo Chicken Hot Wing Dip

Super Bowl is fast approaching, are you ready for some Football?

  I don’t know about you, but I am most looking forward to the snacks.  {tee-hee} What can I say, I told you I was a Foodie!  🙂  I used to look forward to the commercials too, but so many of them have gotten so trashy, it’s ruined it!

    Attention Hot Wing fans, this is the dip for YOU!  It is sure to be a hit at your Super Bowl party this weekend!  There are many, many varities of this dip floating around in the Foodie Blogosphere, but this one is our favorite as we don’t care for Blue Cheese!

(click title for easy printable version)

Ingredients

• 4 whole Chicken Breasts, Boiled, Drained And Shredded
• 12 ounces, fluid Frank’s Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (do NOT Substitute, this is sooo good!)
• 2 blocks (8 Oz. Block) Cream Cheese
• 16 ounces, fluid Ranch Dressing
• ½ cups Chopped Celery
• 8 ounces, weight Shredded Monterey Jack, Sharp Cheddar Cheese Or A Combination Thereof

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 13x9x2 inch baking pan, combine the shredded chicken meat with the Frank’s hot sauce, spreading to form an even layer.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese with the Ranch dressing, stirring till smooth and hot. Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken mixture to form a second layer.

Sprinkle celery over top. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then sprinkle cheese over top and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes till hot and bubbly. (You don’t want the top to get browned or it will be hard. )

Let stand 10 minutes before serving with sturdy dipping chips. Dig in!

~T

Shared with:

Gooseberry Patch

Oven Chili Dogs

  As you know, I started playing The Grocery Game this summer after 9 years of once a month “Go Big & Go Home“ grocery shopping.  We switched gears in an attempt to cut our food budget back, and it’s working! Last week I saved $100!!!!!  BUT, there is a catch to this Grocery Game madness…….

 I’ve had to learn to menu plan just OPPOSITE of what I used to!

  In the olden days, I’d go through all my recipes and pick out whatever my heart desired that month, and then we’d go get the groceries. 

  Now, with the Grocery Game, I buy whatever is on sale and I have coupons for, THEN I make my menu based on what’s waiting for me in my pantry.

  Last month, Hormel Chili Masters went on sale and I had a coupon, so I picked up 2 cans, nervous that it might be gross.  Now, we don’t usually eat canned chili, it’s so easy to make your own, but I figured I would find SOMETHING to make with them, and I did! 

THESE! 

 {warning: ugly food photo alert!}

  Now I wish I had gotten MORE Chili Masters while it was cheap, because we will be making this again!  No worries, they will come back through the sale cycle again, and I will be ready next time! 🙂

{click title to print}

Adapted from In the Wabe

I am putting 2 photos because Dale and I couldn’t agree on which one was LESS ugly.  I’m telling you, people……Some food is just UGLY.  Yummy, but ugly.

So I give you:  2 Ugly photos for the price of 1.

Yipee-skipee.

Please, try to contain your excitement.

#1

#2

  Trust me, no matter how ugly it appears, this was actually a really yummy supper!!! It was the perfect way to use the Hot dogs and Chili I had just got on sale at Dillons, and it came together SO quickly!  A WIN-WIN all the way! 

(Click on the title above to be taken to Tasty Kitchen for an easy printable version.)

Ingredients

• 8 whole Hot Dogs
• 8 whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns
• 2 15 oz. cans Hormel Chili Masters  {Or leftover homemade Chili is awesome here}
• ½ whole Onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese
• Mayo, Mustard And Sweet Relish

Spread mayo on the inside of each hot dog bun. Add sweet relish and a stripe of yellow mustard. Fill with hot dogs and tightly squeeze them all in a 9×13 pan, I did 6 down one side and 2 along the edge.
Top hot dogs with chili, cheese and diced onion. Cover and bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
Enjoy!  They are SOOOO good!

 Welp, I did it.  I blogged Macaroni and hot dogs all in the same week.

 {hanging head in shame}

  I am pretty Anti- “Kid food” (read that: mac n chz, hot dogs, pb&j, spaghetti-o’s, freezer pizza, chicken nuggets & fish sticks) because when I used to babysit, it seemed that was all I ate, due to the limited palate of 2 and 3 year olds.  My goal has been to avoid canned meats and boxed foods as much as possible, as well as exposing my kids to all SORTS of different tastes, so they can’t be picky eaters. 

Guess this week is proof, that you gotta do what you gotta do!  And every once in a while, “kid food” tastes good. 

PB & J anyone?  🙂

~T

UPDATED PHOTO as of 9/30/2012

Still not gorgeous, but better! 🙂

Mac & Cheese Lasagna

So we have established I am anti-cardboard food, right?!  No boxed meals!  WELLLLLL, the other day I was running SUPER DUPER late. I had been gone all day long and needed to feed my starving family, and quick! 

  Here is what I made after finding a recipe that used BOXED Mac & Cheese, which I just happened to have 2 of…{GASP!}

No judgments, desperate times call for desperate measures!!!!

(click title for easy printable)

• 2 boxes (7.25 Oz. Box) Kraft Mac & Cheese
• Additional Required Ingredients Specified In The Mac & Cheese Package (typically Milk And Butter Or Margarine)
• 1 pound Hamburger, Seasoned To Taste
• 1 jar (24 Oz. Jar) Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese, To Sprinkle On Top

Heat oven to 350ºF. Prepare boxed macaroni according to package instructions (you’ll typically need milk and butter or margarine as directed in the package). Brown/drain hamburger. Spoon half the macaroni into a lightly greased 9×13 glass dish. Top with layers of half of each: sauce, meat and shredded cheese. Repeat layers, then sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake 20 minutes.

Serve with some fresh broccoli, steamed, a HUGE green salad, or something equally healthy to make yourself feel better about serving your kids boxed Mac & Cheese. This is delish, I bet even your hubby will like it! 

~T

Cheap Eats: Ham Bone Soup

  Everyone and their dog has a favorite Ham and Beans recipe it seems, so who am I to put ONE more nearly identical recipe out there in the www.

  {SIGH}

  Selfishly, it needs to be done so I have a pretty copy with photo for my recipe binders.  Forgive me and read on anyhow?!

Thanks. 

  So, I HATED Ham and Bean soup when I was a kid. H-A-T-E-D it!  Now? I love it and I am so proud of my 4 little Ferguson’s, who gobbled it right up.  Well, except Avery.  She hemmed and hawed and sighed and flopped around on her chair, until threatened with no cornbread.  That got her moving and her bowl was empty in NO time!

  I saved my ham bone from Christmas (they freeze wonderfully in ziplock, btw) knowing that I’d be able to make this soup when the craving hit.  If you don’t have a ham bone, I guess you are outta luck.  (anyone have a recipe that DOESN’T need the bone?)

  Unless you want to go get a Cooks Butt Cut bone-in ham and stick it in your crock pot, flat side down.  Add 1 can of coke for every 7 pounds of Ham. Cook on low 8 hours. Eat it, marvel at it’s deliciousness, then save your ham bone with some meat left on it for this:

(Click title to be taken to TK for an easy printable format)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Dried White Beans
• 6 cups Water
• 1 whole Ham Bone
• Additional Leftover Ham Chunks (if Available)
• 4 stalks Celery With Leaves, Finely Chopped
• 1 whole Onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic, Pressed
• 1 whole Bay Leaf
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 pinch Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder

Soak beans overnight in 6-8 cups hot water. Drain in the morning.
Place soaked beans, 6 fresh cups of water, chopped veggies, seasonings and ham bone in your slow cooker. (I did a big pot on the stove since I doubled it)
Cook on low for 8 hours, or until you can’t take the suspense any longer!  Remove bay leaf and ham bone. Taste and re-season as necessary.

Serve with Nana’s Perfect Cornbread, found HERE.

BONE appetite!

{Oh my goodness, I totally just cracked myself up right there….}

~T

 

Shared with the Ultimate Beans and Rice Linky Party

Dinner For 4: Part II, The Recipes

  If you are just tuning in, I am sharing the recipes from the Dinner Party for 4 we catered this past week.  Head back a Post to see photos from the dinner:

Shrimp Martini Appetizer’s

(click title for printable)

Adapted from Southern Living cookbook

• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled
• 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice, about half a lemon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 8 pimento stuffed Spanish olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

Cook shrimp in boiling water until it turns pink.  Drain. Place shrimp in ice water until chilled, drain again.

In a small bowl combine cilantro, tomatoes, olives, jalapeno, garlic and salt.  Squeeze lemon juice over all and stir.  Add shrimp and toss gently.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time. Spoon shrimp mixture into 4 martini glasses, garnish with a toothpick of Spanish olives.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

(click title to be taken to Tasty Kitchen for easy printing)

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Onion, Minced
• 2 whole Dried Bay Leaf
• 20 ounces, weight Fresh Mushrooms, Chopped (Shiitake Are Amazing, Crimini Or Button Or A Combo Would Be Delish)
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 quarts Chicken Stock
• 3 cups Heavy Cream
• 4 Tablespoons Minced Chives

1. Heat a pot with butter over medium high heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add onions and bay leaf. Saute for about 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
2. Turn the heat to high and add chopped mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked and soft. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Add the stock and cream. Bring to a boil and immediately turn heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Garnish with fresh chives and serve after removing with bay leaf.

This creamy soup is so easy and tastes delicious! It’s very brothy, which I LOVE, but feel free to adjust liquids or add some corn starch in cold water to thicken per your liking.  We served this for an appetizer, but when serving for supper, I recommend you eat it with Pioneer Women’s Buttered Rosemary Rolls, made in a cast iron skillet.  The combo is simply AMAZING, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to Heaven!

Crab Cakes

by Gutsy Gourmet

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound  Dungeness or Chesapeake Bay crabmeat
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon crab seasoning (Eileen used Old Bay)
1 cup fresh grated bread crumbs

Put crabmeat in mixing bowl, leaving large pieces intact. Add beaten egg. Mix lightly. Add remaining ingredients in order listed.
Form the crab cake mixture into the desired size. Fry in skillet with olive oil on medium to high heat (about 1/2-inch of oil in bottom of skillet). Fry on one side until golden brown and turn over on other side to get the same.

Yield: 6 servings

Oven Roasted Bacon Dripped Asparagus

(click title to be taken to Tasty Kitchen for an easy printable)

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Garden Fresh Asparagus, About 50 Stalks
• ½ cups Bacon Drippings (You Can Substitute Olive Oil, But There Is No Comparison In Flavor)
• Generous Amount Of Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
• Cracked Pepper To Taste

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

After you wash the asparagus, lay out on a tea towel and thoroughly pat dry. This is important so you don’t steam your asparagus. We’re going for roasted here.

Get out a cutting board and knife, you’ll need to remove the hard end of the stalk. Do test cuts in tiny increments, starting at the bottom of the asparagus. You’ll know where to cut by when knife easily slides through.

Line up your asparagus on a couple of baking sheets, or your Pampered Chef bar pans work excellent! Drizzle with bacon drippings and generously sprinkle with kosher salt and cracked pepper. (Kosher salt will make all the difference in something like this, you want the large-grained crunch and the mellow flavor this salt brings.)

Roast asparagus for about 10 minutes, then test, so that you don’t overcook it! You want to maintain a bit of crisp still, but with tender insides.

Enjoy!

Hot Buttered Rum Batter

(click title to be taken to TK for easy printable)

(adapted from All Recipes)

Ingredients

• ½ pound Sweet Cream Butter
• ½ pound Brown Sugar
• ½ pounds Powdered Sugar
• ½ quart Vanilla Ice Cream, Softened
• ½ Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in sugars. Remove from heat, and whisk in the ice cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into a plastic container, seal, and freeze. When ready to serve, set out to soften and stir as it separates.
In a coffee mug, measure 1/2 cup Hot Buttered Rum Batter and 1 fluid ounce of Captain Morgan’s Rum, then fill cup with boiling water.
Enjoy your Hot Buttered Rum!

*Apple Cider can be used in place of water.
*Rum can be eliminated as well, but use Apple Cider, not water for a delicious non-alcoholic drink.

Enjoy!

~T

Leftover Chili Solution: Nacho Supremes

When I was a kid, I loved it when my mom had leftover Chili because she’d make it into this delicious meal. The homemade creamy cheese sauce MAKES this dish!

Nacho Supremes

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter
• ¾ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3-½ cups Whole Milk, Or More As Needed
• 2 pounds Velveeta Cheese
• Yellow Corn Chips, To Serve
• 10 cups (or More) Warm Leftover Chili
• Optional Garnish: Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Lettuce Shreds

Melt butter in a large family skillet. Slowly whisk in flour and salt until it makes a paste. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly and until thickened. Add cubed Velveeta and stir until melted. Add up to 1/2 cup milk more at the end to thin down the cheese if it’s too thick.

Serve over a plate of chips and Chili and garnish per your taste. Delicious!

~T

Update picture: 2-15-13

Fluffy S’Mores Cake

Hi everyone! I was gone allll day yesterday helping my mom at her new house, and it was grocery day too.  I literally left the house at 9 and returned home for dinner.  I did stop home once, at 11:30 to throw the groceries in their homes, but then back to my mom’s.  This time, I didn’t return until supper time. (Dale was super sweet and had supper started!!!! Brownie points!!!!!!)  I don’t know how momma’s that work outside the home do it. I am exhausted, and I didn’t get HALF the stuff accomplished I wanted to today.  So alas, all I have to offer you today is a recipe, but that’s fun too, RIGHT?!  Especially when I tell you it’s DESSERT!  Mmmm!

  This creamy, mousse-like cake was DIVINE!  And pretty too!

• FOR CRUST
• 9 whole Rectangles Graham Cracker, Crushed
• 6 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• ¼ cubes Sugar
• FOR FILLING:
• 12 ounces, weight Extra Creamy Cool Whip, Thawed (divided Use)
• 11-½ ounces, weight Milk Chocolate Chips
• 8 ounces, weight Sour Cream
• 7 ounces, weight Marshmallow Cream
• 6 whole Graham Rectangles, Crushed
• TOPPING:
• 1 whole Hershey’s Bar, Broken In Bits
• Graham Crackers, Broken In Bits
• Mini Marshmallows
• Large Marshmallows, Cut In Half (Optional)

Crush Graham crackers and mix with sugar and melted butter. Form a crust in the bottom of your springform pan. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before continuing.
Carefully melt chocolate chips on stove top or in microwave, stirring often so it doesn’t scorch. Stir in 1 cup cool whip and pour over cooled crust, spreading evenly and freeze for 10 minutes to set.
Combine sour cream, marshmallow cream,remaining cool whip and crushed graham crackers. Spread over chocolate layer. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.
“Decorate” using marshmallows, broken graham crackers and chocolate. You might want to press large marshmallow halves all the way around the perimeter to make it pretty. (I used Gingerbread marshmallows)

Return to fridge until serving time.

It’s very rich, slice ‘em small!

~T